Week of Christmas - Should we even bother?

[disneycat321]

I am a DLR vet - DH and I were locals and had APs for 5 years. In July, we moved to NorCal - no longer locals, no longer AP holders. We are considering doing a one park (DL, obviously) day the Monday of Christmas week, so the 22nd. I am WELL aware it will be extremely crowded, so for those who have done it - should we even bother? Since we were AP holders we never went during these super crowded times before, so I'm not sure we fully understand how bad it will be. Our advantage is that we are very familiar with the park and understand the rides/lines/how to use fastpass, etc. Our disadvantage is that since we never went at the PEAK times, we may be totally freaked out...lol!

We are going through DLR withdrawals (yes, it's only been 5 months since our last visit, but it's hard to go cold turkey after visiting at least twice a month for 5 years!) and we miss Christmas at DLR soooo much.

Thoughts? Is it worth it at all? What kind of lines are we talking about? I would expect 70+ for SM and Indiana, but is it that long for Pirates, HM, etc, too?

Actually my favorite ride at Christmas is IASW. Does THAT get longer than 30 minutes??

Thanks!

Oh - as a side note, I am a teacher, so "just go in off season" doesn't really work. My vacations are ALL at the peak times. It's just life. lol.

 

[Luckymommatoo]

Unfortunately, yes, I do think it will be that bad. I would absolutely expect IASW to be above 45 minutes, and HM and POTC to be above 45 as well. So if you're really happy just wandering around and enjoying the sights, with not huge ride expectations, it could be great. But otherwise I think you'll be unhappy.

 

[disneycat321]

I guess I would expect above 45 on those during midday, but hopefully lower on either end of the peak times (especially morning). We are very strategic with our mornings - we've gone on crowded days before, just not Christmas break crowded, lol!

I used to have a subscription to Touring Plans for their wait times app and found it to be pretty accurate in real time, but the predictions for crowds that day just seem way too low to be plausible. Anyone have any experience with Touring Plans' accuracy with wait time predictions? It's saying 21 is the top time for IASW that day, and I find that hard to believe, though I've noticed that IASW's posted wait time is often inaccurate and we actually end up waiting less than expected.

We may be crazy enough to try this - big rides in the morning, use fastpasses as much as possible (the Touring Plans app is great because it has fastpass return times too), stay the entire 16 hours (we've done it before!) and hang out on the canoes, Mark Twain, train, Winnie the Pooh during the most crowded times...lol!!!!

Part of me thinks - the castle will still light up, there will still be Disney magic, the IASW light show will still happen, there will still be fireworks...... we've been on the rides a million times - we love them, but it's about the atmosphere for us.

 

[jina]

we'll be there that day too - our first time trying xmas but we did do spring break last year and a few days this past August so we have experienced some close to peak days. Our strategy is similar- get there for rope drop (although we are off site and there will be EA/MM at both parks every day so we will not truly be there for rope drop - if we ever do xmas again we will be staying on site for sure) and do as much as we can before the crowds set in - then go some shows, art classes, tom sawyer's island and so forth plus some rest at the hotel. We have very low expectations as to being able to do a lot of rides but we've been on the rides many times this year so I think we will be OK.

 

[disneycat321]

we'll be there that day too - our first time trying xmas but we did do spring break last year and a few days this past August so we have experienced some close to peak days. Our strategy is similar- get there for rope drop (although we are off site and there will be EA/MM at both parks every day so we will not truly be there for rope drop - if we ever do xmas again we will be staying on site for sure) and do as much as we can before the crowds set in - then go some shows, art classes, tom sawyer's island and so forth plus some rest at the hotel. We have very low expectations as to being able to do a lot of rides but we've been on the rides many times this year so I think we will be OK.

Have you ever been during the Christmas season? It's AMAZING - obviously amazing enough that I want to brave the crowds to go!

Magic Morning hours are EVERY DAY at both parks during Christmas??? Usually DL is Tues, Thurs, Sat, so I thought we were ok on Monday! Argh...

 

[Karlzmom]

Am I correct that there is early entry at BOTH parks everyday? I'm trying to pick which park for which day and am wondering if it even matters?

 

[yjjohnston]

We are from Atlanta, GA, so we've never gone to Disneyland. We have frequented WDW quite a few times.

We will be @ Disneyland 12/22 - 12/27. I am excited! I'm hoping to make family memories while we are there. We are staying at the Californian.

I understand it will be crazy-crowded. Are the crowds as big as WDW?

Thanks,
Yvette

 

[mousecrazy]

The peak crowds are the week after Christmas. Those crowds are the busiest of the entire year. The 22nd is going to be busy, but not peak. Since you are DL vets, you already know the tricks and don't need to ride/experience EVERY ride, right? If that's the case, then I think you will have a wonderful day experiencing the spirit of the season with lots of new friends.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

We're going the week after Christmas since my birthday is during that week and I want to spend it there. We know it will be ultra-crowded. We've done it before. We'll make good use of Fastpasses and hit a different area of the parks at rope drop each morning. We already have a couple of dining reservations. Otherwise, we'll just take it slow and go with the flow!

 

[krispin41]

What about taking the Holiday Tour? You will get to walk on Jingle Cruise, IASWH, and HM with your tour group and then get seats for the parade.

I booked it for myself for my upcoming trip, and while I don't have an AP and qualify for that discount, there is a AAA discount.

 

[minercia]

We went last year and it was magical. Definitely use RIDEMAX and bring lots of activities for waiting in line (bubbles, books, snacks etc.) make reservations for brunch around 11 (less people at this time.)

Here's my best tip: GO ON NEW YEARS MORNING - the park is nearly empty (probably everyone is hung over)

 

[elamarca]

We go the week between Christmas and New Years every year and love it. I think it depends on what your expectations are. For people that are used to going to DLR during off-peak times, it's probably a nightmare. For those of us that are used to going when the park is at capacity and are prepared for the crowds, it can be manageable. We generally hit most of the rides early in the morning or later in the evening and manage to get quite a bit done. As someone else said, early lunches and dinners are a great idea to beat crowds. The holiday season is such a wonderful time to visit because of the decorations and just sheer magic, so in my opinion, it's not to be missed. Have fun!

 

[crystal1313]

I say go for it! Yes, it will probably be more crowded then what you are used to...but, you said it's more about the atmosphere, so go! If it's crazy, grab a latte and a treat and just take everything in! We love the parks at Christmas time too, and I would be happy just sitting on a bench in the hub. If you can squeeze in some ride, then that's a bonus!!

 

[TheDoleWhipper]

Disneyland is always fun, regardless of the time of year. If you get to the park early, take advantage of fastpass and single rider lines, and learn to expect large crowds, you will be fine! The good thing is, you have been many times, and it won't be that big of a deal if you miss something. Just browse around and try to enjoy christmas at DLR, instead of focusing on the rides.

 

[tarheelalum]

Am I correct that there is early entry at BOTH parks everyday? I'm trying to pick which park for which day and am wondering if it even matters?

I've heard its both parks everyday. We will be driving up Christmas morning and we are hoping most people will stay home and won't show up until the afternoon.

 

[disneycat321]

Thanks for all the input! We are definitely going. I am SO excited...I feel like we're going back home!

Now we're just trying to decide between Saturday the 20th and Monday the 22nd....

 

[gottalovepluto]

Am I correct that there is early entry at BOTH parks everyday? I'm trying to pick which park for which day and am wondering if it even matters?[/QUOTE

FYI, according to Disneyland's website dual morning hours start Sat Dec 20.

 

[luulu1999]

We went a couple years ago and were there Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and the day after I think the day after was the worse day in DL on our MM for DL it had rained a little we walked on Peter pan and several other rides it was not nearly as bad as I was expecting but it was our first visit and of course we didn't get to do a lot but we just walked around enjoyed being there and if a line was less than 30mins we jumped in